Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

The host of a highly popular PBS series, Pati's Mexican Table, and a self-described “overloaded soccer mom with three kids and a powerful blender,” Pati Jinich has a mission. She's out to prove that Mexican home cooking is quicker and far easier than most Americans think.

Her dishes are not blanketed with cheese, or heavy and fried, or based on complex sauces. Nor are they necessarily highly spicy. Surprising in their simplicity and freshness, they incorporate produce and grains. Most important, they fit perfectly into an everyday family cooking schedule and use just a handful of ingredients, most of which are already in your pantry. Many are homey specialties that Pati learned from her mother and grandmother, some are creative spins on classics, while others are not well known outside of Mexico.

Your friends and family will enjoy Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Pickled Ancho Chile Vinaigrette; Crab Cakes with Jalapeño Aioli; and Chicken Tinga — (you can use rotisserie chicken), which makes a tasty filling for tortas and tostadas. Pati also shares exciting dishes for the holidays and other special occasions, including Mexican Thanksgiving Turkey with Chorizo, Pecan, Apple, and Corn Bread Stuffing; Spiral-Cut Beef Tenderloin; and Red Pozole (“a Mexican party in a bowl”), which she served on her wedding day. Desserts like Triple Orange Mexican Wedding Cookies, Scribble Cookies

Review

"Jinich, the star of the national PBS cooking show Pati's Mexican Table, is an academic who formerly worked in Washington, D.C., at a policy think tank. Jinich, who is Jewish-Mexican and grew up in Mexico City, switched careers because of her overwhelming passion for food, specifically Mexican food. 'Mexican home cooking is beautiful in its simplicity, tremendously convenient, and wholesome,' she says. Jinich accomplishes her goal and does an excellent job of inspiring home cooks to make dishes from her native country in her first cookbook. Alongside her recipes, which she says 'have come to my table from many paths,' she shares Mexican cook's tricks  lessons passed down from generation to generation in her family: for example, how to control chile heat. The book is filled with bright, fresh flavors and dishes that are wonderful in their simplicity. Classics like pico de gallo are joined by Yucatan-style pickled red onions. Salads are vivid, such as watermelon and tomatillo salad with feta cheese and jicama, beet, orange, and caramelized peanut Christmas salad. The 'Anytime Vegetarian' chapter gives readers delicious meatless options, like the plantain and refried bean quesadillas. Equally enticing are shrimp croquettes in tomato broth; sticky chicken with apricots, tamarind, and chipotle; and shredded pork in ancho-orange sauce. Agent: Peter W. Smith." Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review

"The book is filled with bright, fresh flavors and dishes that are wonderful in their simplicity." Publishers Weekly

Review

"Pati Jinich is a breath of fresh air in the food world. She's warm, beyond smart, she's funny and a generous and gifted cook. She knows Mexican food as her heritage and as a scholar, but knows, too, the realities of being a working mother. She never gave up on the tastes she grew up with, but she's got an uncanny way of streamlining how she recreates them. This is one of those books you'll be cooking and learning from for a long time." Lynne Rossetto Kasper, Splendid Table host

Review

"Pati Jinich has created the most delicious guidebook to the magnificent market-driven home cooking of Mexico that I've ever seen. This book makes it simple to create fresh and tasty Mexican food and inspires me to make soft fresh torillas, pickle my own jalapeños, and delight in Chicken Tinga with my family. This book will become a family heirloom at my house forever." Mario Batali

Synopsis

The host of the popular PBS show Pati's Mexican Table shares everyday Mexican dishes, from the traditional to creative twists.

Synopsis

From the star of the popular national PBS cooking series Pati's Mexican Table, authentic Mexican dishes for busy families

“Sometimes it seems as if Pati Jinich could turn a misanthrope into butter and hold her own against . . . Paula Deen.” —Washington Post

The charismatic host of a PBS show now in its third season and a self-described “overloaded soccer mom with three kids and a powerful blender,” Pati Jinich is on a mission. She is determined to show that true Mexican home cooking can fit as neatly into our daily routines as it does into hers.

The dishes she learned growing up in Mexico City are surprising in their simplicity and freshness. They're not always spicy, and there are plenty of vegetarian options. They include “Divorced Eggs” with red and green salsa; the homey supper Chicken a la Trash; a favorite of Pati's boys, Ancho Chili Burgers with Lime Aioli; the fast celebration dinner Spiral-Cut Beef Tenderloin Medallions; and Triple-Orange Wedding Cookies. Charming stories of Pati's food memories and the traditions she has established in her own family run throughout the book.

About the Author

Pati Jinich is the host of the popular PBS show Pati's Mexican Table and the official chef of the Mexican Cultural Institute. She has appeared on the Food Network, NBC's Today Show, ABC's The Chew, CBS, Fox News, NPR, and The Splendid Table. She hosts live programs for the Smithsonian Institute and has cooked at the Blair House, the official guest house of the vice-president.